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Magnitude 6.3 quake in centr
…
| Title |
Magnitude 6.3 quake in central Java |
| Description |
A powerful earthquake rattled Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia, in the early morning hours of May 27, 2006. The quake destroyed more than 60,000 houses in the city, and killed an estimated 6,234 people, reported the World Health Organization on June 6. Though Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes, the May 27 quake was unusual in that it was centered about 10 kilometers under the Earth's surface, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Most earthquakes in Indonesia occur deep under the Earth's surface where the slab of the Earth's crust that carries Australia (the Australia Plate) sinks beneath the Sunda Plate on which the islands of Indonesia ride. Earthquakes occur in the sometimes-messy grind of colliding plates, but these are centered deep below the Earth's surface. The May 27 earthquake happened near the surface along a fault in the Sunda Plate, about 20 kilometers south-southeast of Yogyakarta. This image shows the topography of the landscape near the earthquake epicenter. Yogyakarta sits in a broad valley between two groups of roughly north-running mountains. The towering Merapi Volcano caps the northeast end of the valley. Behind it is the single peak of the Sundoro Volcano and a cluster of small peaks in the Dieng Volcano Complex. The Slamet and Cereme Volcanoes are west of Merapi in the upper-left corner of the image. The earthquake occurred along a fault east of the mountains that frame Yogyakarta to the east. The image was created from data collected by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. The earthquake is not the only geologic activity to threaten the region: the Merapi volcano was also rumbling at the end of May. The volcano sent clouds of hot gas and lava down its slopes on June 6, prompting the evacuation of 11,000 people, said news reports. The ASTER sensor on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured an image [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13628 ] of the volcano in action on June 6. The volcano had been showing signs of increased activity since April, but activity picked up after the May 27 earthquake. While volcanic activity and earthquakes are often connected, it is not clear if the May 27 earthquake is directly linked to Merapi's activity, said the USGS. The same underlying geologic processes may have triggered both events. NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data provided courtesy of the Unviersity of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility. [ http://www.landcover.org/ ] |
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Storms in the Java Sea
| Title |
Storms in the Java Sea |
| Description |
A ferry carrying more than 600 passengers sank in the Java Sea between the islands of Borneo (image center) and Java (to the south-southwest) just before midnight on December 29, 2006, during high winds and rough seas. On January 1, 2007, a plane carrying more than 100 people crashed on its flight over the Java Sea, high winds and turbulent weather are being investigated as possible causes. The origin of surges of deadly wind in this usually relatively calm region are poorly understood, and the area is not well-monitored with traditional weather equipment. Ocean winds data from NASA's QuikScat satellite may help improve monitoring and understanding of unusual weather in the area. Data obtained from QuikScat on December 30 and January 1 shed new insights into the atmospheric conditions at the time of the tragic incidents described above. In this image from January 1, the different colors reveal different wind speeds. White arrows are wind vectors showing both direction and speed. The data from December 30 and January 1 showed that the strong winds in the Java Sea originated from the surge of a strong winter monsoon from the Asian continent. The monsoon winds blew south across the South China Sea and deflected eastward after they crossed the equator due to the rotation of Earth. The winds in the Java Sea remained strong through January 1, 2007. Associated with the eastward winds, twin cyclones were also observed by QuikScat. (A cyclone is any large-scale atmosphere circulation around a region of low air pressure. The systems spin counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.) The stronger cyclone was south of the equator (summer hemisphere) between Java and Australia, and a weaker one was north of the equator (winter hemisphere) west of Borneo. QuikScat measures ocean surface wind speed by sending radar pulses to the surface and measuring the strength of the signals that return to the sensor. The sensor's wide-scale observations make it possible for scientists to interpret local weather events, such as the recent high wind outbreak in the Java Sea region, in the context of the large-scale atmospheric circulation and to confirm connections between the two. QuikScat data are available in near-real time to operational weather forecasting agencies around the world. NASA image courtesy of David Long, Brigham Young University, on the QuikSCAT Science Team, [ http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
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Floods in East Africa
| Title |
Floods in East Africa |
| Description |
Kenya gets most of its rainfall in two doses: a long rainy season that runs from March or April through July or August, and a short rainy season that starts in September or October and usually tapers off in December. As if trying to make up for lack of rain during the 2005 short rainy season, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17250 ]which failed entirely, the rainy season that started in October 2006 proved to be unusually heavy. Some locations in Kenya received as much as 200 millimeters more rain than average in October. The heavy rain fell on drought-baked ground, triggering extensive flooding in northern Kenya. The East Africa Standard, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200610280016.html ] a Nairobi newspaper, reported on October 28 that 10 people had died in the flooding and more than 75,000 were made homeless. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding in northern Kenya on October 30, 2006. Aquamarine, sediment-laden flood water runs through the Laga Bogal and Laga Bor river channels and spreads across the surrounding landscape in places. The Lorian Swamp, in the lower-right corner of the image, appeared dry on October 14, when the lower image was captured. By October 30, water flowed through the swamp. The rain has also spurred plant growth. The arid landscape assumed a green tint in the two weeks that passed between October 14 and October 30. In these false-color images, made with both infrared and visible light, vegetation is bright green, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment has given the water a blue-green color in the top image. Eastern Africa regularly goes through cycles of drought and floods, possibly driven by El Niño. El Niño is a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions like Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a mild El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ] was settling in over Australia and heavy rain pounded East Africa.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07 ] of East Africa are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in East Africa
| Title |
Floods in East Africa |
| Description |
Kenya gets most of its rainfall in two doses: a long rainy season that runs from March or April through July or August, and a short rainy season that starts in September or October and usually tapers off in December. As if trying to make up for lack of rain during the 2005 short rainy season, [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17250 ]which failed entirely, the rainy season that started in October 2006 proved to be unusually heavy. Some locations in Kenya received as much as 200 millimeters more rain than average in October. The heavy rain fell on drought-baked ground, triggering extensive flooding in northern Kenya. The East Africa Standard, [ http://allafrica.com/stories/200610280016.html ] a Nairobi newspaper, reported on October 28 that 10 people had died in the flooding and more than 75,000 were made homeless. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Aqua [ http://aqua.nasa.gov/ ] satellite captured the top image of flooding in northern Kenya on October 30, 2006. Aquamarine, sediment-laden flood water runs through the Laga Bogal and Laga Bor river channels and spreads across the surrounding landscape in places. The Lorian Swamp, in the lower-right corner of the image, appeared dry on October 14, when the lower image was captured. By October 30, water flowed through the swamp. The rain has also spurred plant growth. The arid landscape assumed a green tint in the two weeks that passed between October 14 and October 30. In these false-color images, made with both infrared and visible light, vegetation is bright green, bare or sparsely vegetated ground is tan-pink, and clouds are pale blue and white. In this type of image, water is typically black or dark blue, but sediment has given the water a blue-green color in the top image. Eastern Africa regularly goes through cycles of drought and floods, possibly driven by El Niño. El Niño is a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions like Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a mild El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ] was settling in over Australia and heavy rain pounded East Africa.Daily images [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?NAfrica_3_07 ] of East Africa are provided by the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov ] at NASA GSFC. |
|
Floods in East Africa
| Title |
Floods in East Africa |
| Description |
Severe drought early in 2006 followed by widespread flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13795 ] during August crippled Ethiopia. In late October and early November, the disaster continued to develop as heavy rain once again sent the Wabe Shebele River over its banks. The swollen river grew to twice its normal size, inundating towns that line its fertile banks, reported the World Food Program [ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WFP/4d4580f3cc2d9d49654e66a8daf84c16.htm ]. More than 60 people died in the floods, and many more were impacted. On November 1, 2006, skies cleared, providing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a clear view of the floods in southeastern Ethiopia. The Wabe Shabele spreads several kilometers across its flood plain, its water ranging from inky black to light blue. The scene is shown in infrared-enhanced false color to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this color combination, made with both visible and infrared light, water is typically black, as it is in the lower reaches of the river in this image. Elsewhere in the scene, however, water is light blue because sediment in the water scatters light. The pale blue color blends with the light green of newly growing plants, making it difficult to tell just how extensive the floods are on the west bank of the river. Other waterways on either side of the Wabe Shabele are also filled with mud-laden, light blue water. The lower image, taken on October 7, shows the Wabe Shabele under normal conditions. Though the river is prone to flooding, the attractiveness of living along its banks is clear from this image. Little vegetation is growing in the arid region except along the river's banks, which are lined in green. Conditions changed by November 1. The same rainfall that caused the floods also spurred plant growth, and the landscape went from a barren tan-pink to verdant green. Lines of high clouds, pale blue and white in this false-color image, are scattered across both images. Like much of East Africa, southeastern Ethiopia goes through a regular cycle of floods and droughts. The cycle is in part driven by El Niño, a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions, such as Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a weak El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ], was settling in over Australia, and heavy rain pounded East Africa. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
|
Floods in East Africa
| Title |
Floods in East Africa |
| Description |
Severe drought early in 2006 followed by widespread flooding [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13795 ] during August crippled Ethiopia. In late October and early November, the disaster continued to develop as heavy rain once again sent the Wabe Shebele River over its banks. The swollen river grew to twice its normal size, inundating towns that line its fertile banks, reported the World Food Program [ http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WFP/4d4580f3cc2d9d49654e66a8daf84c16.htm ]. More than 60 people died in the floods, and many more were impacted. On November 1, 2006, skies cleared, providing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS [ http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov ]) on NASA's Terra [ http://terra.nasa.gov/ ] satellite a clear view of the floods in southeastern Ethiopia. The Wabe Shabele spreads several kilometers across its flood plain, its water ranging from inky black to light blue. The scene is shown in infrared-enhanced false color to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this color combination, made with both visible and infrared light, water is typically black, as it is in the lower reaches of the river in this image. Elsewhere in the scene, however, water is light blue because sediment in the water scatters light. The pale blue color blends with the light green of newly growing plants, making it difficult to tell just how extensive the floods are on the west bank of the river. Other waterways on either side of the Wabe Shabele are also filled with mud-laden, light blue water. The lower image, taken on October 7, shows the Wabe Shabele under normal conditions. Though the river is prone to flooding, the attractiveness of living along its banks is clear from this image. Little vegetation is growing in the arid region except along the river's banks, which are lined in green. Conditions changed by November 1. The same rainfall that caused the floods also spurred plant growth, and the landscape went from a barren tan-pink to verdant green. Lines of high clouds, pale blue and white in this false-color image, are scattered across both images. Like much of East Africa, southeastern Ethiopia goes through a regular cycle of floods and droughts. The cycle is in part driven by El Niño, a cyclical warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific that can alter weather patterns around the world. In general, El Niño causes drought in some regions, such as Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines, while bringing excess rain to others, including East Africa and the southwestern United States. In September 2006, NASA's JASON satellite recorded a weak El Niño [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=17419 ] in the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the same time, drought [ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/natural_hazards_v2.php3?img_id=13943 ], was settling in over Australia, and heavy rain pounded East Africa. NASA images created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of the MODIS Rapid Response [ http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/ ] team. |
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Jason Satellite Observes Mil
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In September 2006, NASA sate
…
ElNino_JAS_20060915
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-09-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image by Akiko Hayashi, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
| identifier |
ElNino_JAS_20060915 |
|
Jason Satellite Observes Mil
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In September 2006, NASA sate
…
ElNino_JAS_20060915
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-09-15 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image by Akiko Hayashi, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
| identifier |
ElNino_JAS_20060915 |
|
Another Kelvin Wave Strenght
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nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
In the Pacific Ocean around
…
ssh_jas_2006324
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-11-20 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA/JPL Ocean Surface Topography Team. |
| identifier |
ssh_jas_2006324 |
|
El Nino and Rainfall: Image
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
At the end of 2006, East Afr
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precipanom_trmm_200611
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using rainfall data provided courtesy of the precip.gsfc.nasa.gov/ Global Precipitation Climatology Product team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. |
| identifier |
precipanom_trmm_200611 |
|
Floods in East Africa: Natur
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
NKenya_AMO_2006303
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-10-30 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
NKenya_AMO_2006303 |
|
Floods in East Africa: Natur
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
* eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/ima
…
ethopia_tmo_2006305
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-11-01 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
ethopia_tmo_2006305 |
|
La Nina In Progress : Image
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Researchers at the National
…
ge_06270
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-02-01 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Chelle Gentemann and Frank Wentz, Remote Sensing Systems. |
| identifier |
ge_06270 |
|
La Nina In Progress : Image
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Researchers at the National
…
ge_06270
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-02-01 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided courtesy of Chelle Gentemann and Frank Wentz, Remote Sensing Systems. |
| identifier |
ge_06270 |
|
Magnitude 6.3 quake in centr
…
nasa, nasanaturalhazards
A powerful earthquake rattle
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merapi_srtm_2006146
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-05-26 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA Image Of The Day |
| identifier |
merapi_srtm_2006146 |
|
Tsunami Damage in Java: Imag
…
nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Off the island of Java, Indo
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pangandaran_iko_2006200
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-07-19 |
| creator |
NASA -- IKONOS image copyright GeoEye/CRISP Singapore GeoEye / www.crisp.nus.edu.sg/ CRISP Singapore |
| identifier |
pangandaran_iko_2006200 |
|
CALIPSO and CloudSat Images:
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nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Remote-sensing devices that
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cloudsat_calipso_data
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006-06-12 |
| creator |
NASA -- Images courtesy NASA/JPL/NOAA/The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA), Colorado State University (top), and Kathy Powell, SAIC and NASA Langley Research Center (lower). |
| identifier |
cloudsat_calipso_data |
|
El Nino Chills the Western P
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nasa, nasaimageofthedaygalle
…
Stretching across nearly a t
…
ssta_amsre_200611
| mediatype |
IMAGE |
| mediatype |
image |
| date |
2006 |
| creator |
NASA -- NASA image created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using data provided by Chelle Gentemann, Remote Sensing Systems. AMSR-E was provided to the Aqua program by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). |
| identifier |
ssta_amsre_200611 |
|
QuikScat Shows Rough Seas/At
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PIA09110
Sol (our sun)
SeaWinds Scatterometer
| Title |
QuikScat Shows Rough Seas/Atmospheric Conditions at Time of Two Java Sea Disasters |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
. QuikScat is managed for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, DC, by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. JPL also built the SeaWinds radar instrument and is providing ground science processing systems. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, managed development of the satellite, designed and built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, CO. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has contributed support to ground systems processing and related activities., A ferry carrying more than 600 passengers sank in the Java Sea between the island of Java and Borneo just before midnight on December 29, 2006, during high winds and rough seas. On January 1, 2007, a plane carrying more than 100 people crashed on its flight over the Java Sea, high winds and turbulent weather are being investigated as possible causes. The origin of surges of deadly winds in this usually relatively calm region is poorly monitored and understood. However, ocean winds data from NASA's QuikScat satellite show potential for helping alleviate such deficiencies. Data obtained from QuikScat on December 30 and January 1 shed new insights into the atmospheric conditions at the time of these incidents. QuikScat data are available in near real time to operational weather forecasting agencies around the world. The data from December 30 and January 1 observed that the strong winds in the Java Sea originated from the surge of a strong winter monsoon from the Asian continent. The monsoon winds blew south across the South China Sea and deflected eastward after they crossed the equator due to the rotation of Earth. The winds strengthened as they were channeled through the land masses of Indonesia. The winds in the Java Sea remained strong through January 1, 2007. Associated with the eastward winds, twin cyclones (a counter-clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere and a clockwise circulation in the Southern Hemisphere) were also observed by QuikScat, the stronger one was south of the equator (summer hemisphere) between Java and Australia, and a weaker one was north of the equator (winter hemisphere) west of Borneo. In this image from January 1, the different colors denote different wind speeds. White arrows are wind vectors showing both direction and speed. The large-scale, broad and simultaneous observations by QuikScat make it possible to put the local weather into the context of the large-scale circulation, and confirm one of the assumptions that links the cold surge of the Asian monsoon with tropical cyclones in the western Pacific. QuikScat, managed by JPL, measures ocean surface wind/stress by sending radar pulses to the surface and measuring the strength of the signals returned. "QuikScat Background" NASA's Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) spacecraft was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California on June 19, 1999. QuikScat carries the SeaWinds scatterometer, a specialized microwave radar that measures near-surface wind speed and direction under all weather and cloud conditions over the Earth's oceans. More information about the QuikScat mission and observations is available at http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA09110 http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov ] |
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Jason Satellite Observes Mil
…
PIA01939
Sol (our sun)
Altimeter
| Title |
Jason Satellite Observes Mild El Nino in 2006 |
| Original Caption Released with Image |
In September 2006, NASA satellite data indicated that El Niño had returned to the tropical Pacific Ocean, although it was relatively weak. As of early October, scientists were not sure if the event would persist, and it was much less intense than the last major El Niño episode, which happened in 1997-1998. That event brought devastating floods to California that cost millions of dollars in damage while severe drought struck Indonesia, Australia, and the Philippines. Among the ocean characteristics that signal developing El Niño events is a change in average sea surface height compared to normal sea level. When water warms, it expands a little, which changes its volume slightly. When heat begins to build up in the Pacific during an El Niño event, the sea surface height begins to creep up. NASA observes changes in average sea surface height using its Jason satellite. The image is based on the average of 10 days of data centered on September 15, 2006, compared to the long-term average of observations from 1993-2005. In this image, places where the Pacific sea surface height is higher (warmer) than normal are yellow, orange, and red, and places where the sea surface is lower (cooler) than normal are blue and purple. Green shows where conditions are near normal. The swath of red in the center of the scene reveals that an El Niño was in progress when Jason observed the Pacific. El Niño is a cyclical warming of the ocean waters in the central and eastern tropical Pacific that generally occurs every 3 to 7 years. It is linked with changes in air pressure and high-level winds that can affect weather worldwide. Typically peaking during the Northern Hemisphere winter months, El Niño is the warm phase of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation. It alternates with La Niña, the cooling of ocean waters in the same region of the Pacific. According to Bill Patzert, oceanographer and climatologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "The present conditions indicate that the intensity of this El Niño is too weak to have a major influence on current weather patterns. But, if the ocean waters continue to warm and spread eastward, this event would likely strengthen, perhaps bringing much-needed rainfall to the southwestern and southeastern United States this winter." The Jason satellite carries a dual-frequency radar altimeter. This instrument beams microwave pulses-at 13.6 and 5.3 Gigahertz, respectively-downward toward the Earth. To determine the ocean's height, the instrument precisely measures the time it takes for the microwave pulses to bounce off the surface and return to the spacecraft. This measure, multiplied by the speed of light, gives the range from the satellite to the ocean surface. The joint U.S.-French Topex/Poseidon mission is managed by the JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Research on Earth's oceans using Jason and other, space-based capabilities is conducted by NASA's Science Mission Directorate to better understand and protect our home planet. For more information on NASA's ocean surface topography missions, see http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/ [ http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/ ] or to view the latest Jason data see http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/science/jason1-quick-look/ [ http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/science/jason1-quick-look/ ]. |
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